history

history

IU East Alumni Nate Prendergraft explores Wayne Works History

IU East Alumni Nate Prendergraft explores Wayne Works History

Nate Pendergraft is a recent Indiana University East graduate with light brown hair neatly combed to the side. His cowboy boots click on the tile floor as he walks. He leisurely stuffs his hands in his pockets as I study the rotational cases in the Community Room of the Wayne County Historical Museum, near downtown Richmond, Indiana. The cases’ display has been his personal project for several months, and now he’s one of the foremost experts on yet another crown jewel of Richmond’s history: Wayne Works. Established first as Whitt-Whippo in 1837, Wayne Works moved its facilities to Richmond in 1875. Its entire business model was built on quality vehicles that were both safe and reliable. Wayne Works and its … Continued
History Questions

History Questions

Over the course of the summer, we have been looking at how to perform high quality, academic research in all of the major disciplines IU East teaches.  While we started with general techniques usable in any research, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  Each area of study has its own quirks and special types of knowledge, and we want you to be good at whatever type of scholarship you choose to major in.  This week, we’ll dig into the study of history. History is an area of scholarship with a broad scope – you might be researching something that happened five years ago, or five thousand.  Few other subjects have as wide of potential range.  Fortunately, there are a … Continued
Lincoln Lives

Lincoln Lives

This year is the sesquicentennial of many important events of the Civil War, and historians and reenactors have been busy memorializing them.  But one of the most significant occurs this week – Abraham Lincoln’s famous address at the dedication of the national cemetery in Gettysburg on November 19th, 1863. This brief speech is regarded as one of the masterworks of American writing, and its text is better known than even the Declaration of Independence.  It has influenced monumental speeches and political documents across the world, from Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to the Constitution of France. This week, at the Honors Induction Ceremony on Thursday, November 21st at 4:00 p.m., IU East will host Dean Dorrell, a … Continued
This Week in History

This Week in History

This week marks the anniversary of the tragic Kent State demonstrations, a protest against the Vietnam War (specifically, the Cambodia invasion) that cost the lives of four students and injured nine others.  Given the importance of Vietnam to modern American history, it is a common topic in our history classrooms and assignments.  The Kent State shooting showed us that even students here in America could find themselves in the line of fire.   Whether you’re researching the Kent State tragedy or the Vietnam War as a whole, there are plenty of resources for you.  Databases like America: History and Life or JSTOR have a wealth of information – even a simple search turns up hundreds of articles, new and old.  … Continued
Long is the road we have already traveled

Long is the road we have already traveled

 “Once in a while it is good to look back and see just how long is the road we have already traveled.” ~ Dr. Frederick Grohsmeyer (November 5, 1973) On Saturday, July 21, 2012 IU East lost its first director, Dr. Frederick Grohsmeyer, a man who helped to establish Indiana University East.  Thanks to the memories of those who knew Dr. Grohsmeyer and to records documenting the influential life he led, his memory will not fade.  Fortunately we have some of those records in the Indiana University East Archives. Indiana University East began as the Eastern Indiana Center located at Earlham College.  Frederick Grohsmeyer was the Director of the Eastern Indiana Center, and in 1969, he began work to help … Continued